Calculator.



No. 654,026. Patented July 17, I900.

. CHOW LING SHANG.

(No Model.)

W/ TN E SSE S THE Noam PEYERS co, PHOTO-UTHQ, WASHINGTON, D4 1;.

Fines.

PATENT CHOW LING SHANG, OF MACAO, CHINA.

CALCULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters" Patent No. 654,026, dated July 17,1900. Application filed January 29, 196p. Serial no. 3,218. (No model) To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHOW LING SHANG, a subject of the Emperor of China, and a resident of Macao, China, have invented a new and Improved Calculator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to calculators, particularly to devices for facilitating multiplication and division.

The improved device consists of a suitable board or base and a series of movable parts, as strips or tapes, secured thereto and bearing figures in the particular novel arrangement hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved calculator. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is abroken view of one of the tapes.

As illustrated, the calculator comprises a base consisting of a board or plate A, made of wood, cardboard, metal, or any other suitable material. To the said base are secured guides 13, preferably one at the top and one at the bottom, said guides forming passages for the front run of each of the tapes 0, while the rear run of said tapes is allowed to pass loosely behind the base, as shown in Fig. 2. The tapes are preferably endless, as shown, so that they will not be liable to become disconnected from the base, although this is not an absolutely essential feature of my invention. The tapes 0 are practically alike, except that they carry different designating characters ct at their heads. tape has the designating character I, the second tape has the character II, and so on. Each tape is divided longitudinally into two columns and transversely into groups of nine figures each. In the first group, b, all the figures are naughts. In the second group, 0, the numbers 1 to 9 appear in their regular sequence in the right-hand column of the tape. In the third group, d, appear the numeral 2 and its multiples up to 18, the units being in the right-hand column and the tens in the left-hand column of the tape.

Similarly in the groups 6 and f appear the Thus the first multiples of 3 and 4, and so on throughout the tape until the group g, in which the multiples of nine are contained. After this the numbers I to 9 appear in the center of the tape, as at h, the division of the 'tape into two columns being abandoned at that point. Between the group h and the designating character a a blank space 'i may beleft.

The manner of using the calculator will be understood best by reference to an example. Thus let us assume that the operator Wants to find the product eight times eight thousand four hundred and ninety-seven. He then takes the four tapes from the right-that is,

the tapes marked I, II, III, IVand moves them until the numbers 8, 4, 9, 7, :respectively, of the said tapes come into the same horizontal line or row, preferably immediately below the upper guide B. The other tapes are left in their normal position, in which the series of numbers of the group 71. are directly below said upper guide B. Preferably the distance between the two guides is approximately equal to the length of one of the groups h c, &c. Now to find eight times eight thousand four hundred and ninetyseven the operator finds in the eighth line the number 56 on the first tape I, the number 72 on the tape II,'the number 32 on the tape III, and the number 64. on the tape IV. He can easily write down the prod not by writing down for each tape the number contained in the right-hand column thereof, with the addition of the number contain ed in the left-hand column of the next adjacent tape to the rightthat is, the operator will add contiguous numbers on different tapes. Thus he will add 2 and 5 from tapes I and II, 2 and 7 from tapes II and III, and 4 and 3 from tapes III and IV. He will thus get the result, 67,976. From this example the figuring of other products will be readily understood.

In division the improved calculator is employed to readily find multiples of the divisor and to do away with the tedious multiplications, as will be understood best by an example. Suppose it is desired to divide 212,425 by 8,497. This is begun in the usual way by dividing 21,242 by 8,497, giving 2 as the first figure of the quotient, and the calculator may be utilized for this operation also, since it shows that 21 (in the thousands) is between the double 16,994) and the triple (25,491) of 8,497. T vice 8,497 is then read off on the machine as 16,994 and subtracted in the usual way from 21,242,leaving the remainder 4,248. To this remainder is added the last figure, 5, and 42,485 is divided by 8,497. The machine shows at a glance that 42,485 is equal to five times eight thousand four hundred and ninety-seven. The result of the di- Vision therefore is 25. The example would be written as follows:

The mental operation would thus be reduced to adding the partial products found on the machine.

It will be observed that the lower portions of the strips or tapes depend loosely from the base or support A, so that they may be readily wrapped around the same, thus facilitating the packing and shipping of the device and enabling it to be readily carried in the pocket.

I desire it to be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention. Thus I may use more than two guides B, and for the purpose of guiding the eyes of the operator and of preventing mistakes I may make the numbers in different colors alternately-for instance, in black and red.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A calculator, comprising a base or support, and a series of independent strips movable side by side on said support and each bearing numerals arranged in groups, one group of each strip being formed by the multiples of 1 (from 1 to 9) another by the multiples of 2, a third by the multiples of 3, &c.

2. A calculator, comprising a fiat base or support, a guide secured thereto, and a series of strips passing through said guide and arranged side by side, each of said strips bearing numerals arranged in groups, one group containing the numbers from 1 to 9, in their regular sequence, the next group the multiples of 2, from 2 to 18, the one following, those of 8, from 3 to 27, 850., the strips, adjacent to the said guide, being adapted to lie on the said flat base so that a portion of each strip, containing a whole group of numerals, will be flat so as to plainly expose to view, at one and the same time, an entire group of numerals on each strip.

3. A calculator, comprising a base or support, and a series of independent strips movable side by side on said support and having their lower portions loosely depending from said support, so that said portions can be Wrapped around the support, each strip bearing numerals arranged in groups, one group of each strip being formed by the multiples of 1 (from 1 to 9), another by the multiples of 2, athird by the multiples of 3 the.

4. A calculator, comprising a Hat base or support, a guide secured thereto, and a series of strips passing through said guide and arranged side by side, each of said strips being divided longitudinally into columns and transversely into groups, one group containing the numbers from 1 to 9, in their regular sequence, the next group the multiples of 2, from 2 to 18, the one following, those of 3,from 3 to 27, 800., the strips, adjacent to the said guide, being adapted to lie on the said flat base so that a portion of each strip, containing a whole group of unmerals, will be fiat so as to plainly expose to view, at one and the same time, an entire group of numerals on each strip.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHON LING SIIANG.

IVitnesses:

Ho Ym: YUT, Ho YRET T00. 

